The Pan Afrikanist

Fenny Letshwiti, Chief Public Relations in the Ministry of Entrepreneurship

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Beware of false and fake messaging and service offering

Ref: MoE 1/15/1 I (07) 07 April 2024

PUBLIC NOTICE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

As we implement the Chema-Chema Fund—post the lively and successful launch of its enabling guidelines on Friday 5th April 2024 in Maun, we wish to advise the public to take note and deal with the appropriate authorities for this informal sector service.

The first important matter is that—only two (2) implementing authorities have been appointed, by the Botswana Government to implement the initiative. The Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) will deal with the process of registering and training all qualifying citizens, while the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) will deal with the disbursement of funds—after assessing the applications of qualifying applicants.

No other person, company or entity has the authority or a legitimate basis for claiming to offer administrative or other such training services—including consultancies to deal with the guidelines or disbursement process.

Apart from LEA and CEDA: through their appointed personnel, any–other person claiming to be involved with training of the public, or firsthand involvement with the Fund’s operational process should be avoided and the public must be wary of being misinformed or taken for an avoidable ride.

If in doubt, and outside LEA and CEDA, be advised to double-check with offices of the Botswana Government throughout the country, but primarily with the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, which has the responsibility to administer the Fund.

No one is to be charged for being trained or being assisted in applying for the Chema-Chema funds. Consequently, the Ministry of Entrepreneurship issues a public notice to caution against the recent proliferation of misinformation on social media platforms claiming to provide Chema Chema Fund capacity-building services to the informal sector.

We have also noted that several unauthorized social media pages alleging to represent the Chema Chema Fund have surfaced. We would like to state that the Chema Chema Fund does not have an official Facebook page or any other social media presence.

All official communications, updates, and announcements about the Chema Chema Fund will be disseminated through recognized Botswana Government media outlets, as well as the official social media pages of CEDA and LEA. We urge the public to exercise caution and discretion when encountering information related to the Chema Chema Fund on social media platforms.

The Chema Chema Fund is a government-led initiative aimed at providing affordable short-term loans and support services to citizen informal businesses in Botswana. As such, accurate and verified information must be shared with the public to prevent misinformation and confusion.

Any queries or concerns regarding the Chema Chema Fund should be directed to the relevant authorities for clarification. For official updates and information about the Fund, please refer to the following official sources: